Reactive materials comprising an oxidising agent, such as a fluoropolymer, and a metal have been used to make parts, for example liners or fragments in warheads. Such parts of the warhead would previously have been made from inert materials. By using reactive materials in such parts, the energy available during detonation of the warhead can be increased. The energy may be released either as a result of shock induced reaction of the reactive material in the detonation fireball or as a result of impact induced reaction of the reactive material at the target. The use of reactive materials can increase lethality or reduce warhead weight and volume whilst maintaining lethality. In order to be useful, such materials must have sufficient strength to replace at least some of the inert materials in the warhead.
US2003/0096897 discloses a sintered reactive material made by blending fuel particles with a polymer matrix comprising at least one fluoropolymer in an inert organic media to disperse the fuel particles in the polymer matrix. The material is sintered in an inert atmosphere so as to include reactive metals and/or metalloids in a non-oxidised state.
US2004/0020397 discloses a reactive material for use as a reactive liner in penetrating warheads and for use in reactive fragments in fragmenting warheads. The reactive material comprises an oxidising agent and a metal filler or metal/metal oxide filler.
Despite these advances, there is still a need for improved reactive materials for use in munitions design. In particular, there is a need for reactive materials having good structural properties whilst still providing high energy release during munition detonation, whether through shock induced reaction of impact induced reaction.
It would be advantageous to provide a reactive material for use in munitions in which one or more of the aforementioned disadvantages is eliminated or reduced.